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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies
The BEST Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies. The Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that everyone goes crazy over!
I’ve got issues.
I am a cookie junkie of epic proportions.
There’s probably a support group somewhere for people like me.
When I was a teenager, I would go to the library and thumb through cookbooks to find every single chocolate chip cookie recipe and would beg my Mom to try out the recipe creations almost daily. Issues, I tell you.
I started off by following recipes and then I thought….let’s take a walk on the wild side and start experimenting by throwing stuff in and see what happens. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, that’s another story. Little tweaks here and there were the difference makers – browning the butter, raising or lowering the temperature of the oven, and trying out some interesting ingredients.
When I won a trip to NYC to film a perfect cookie segment for the Cooking Channel’s Perfect 3 Show in the Food Network studios, I went online to seek out the best bakeries in Manhattan. The highest rated cookie was awarded to Levain Bakery and I knew that it had to be mine. Pronto.
Oh, and it was legit. Legit and different. Unique in such a way that I had to figure out how in the world they did it. I became a mad scientist in the kitchen to figure out the how to make the Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I developed a massive crush on a cookie.
I have never, ever worked on a recipe as much as this one. Another trip had to be made to NYC in the name of food science to do some more investigative research. A trip to the Truvia Baking Star competition in NYC meant multiple trips to buy my favorite cookie. We rode our bikes in the freezing cold just for that one bite. By the time we arrived, my feet were frozen, but sacrifices have to be made, right?
I came home and tweaked some more and then it happened…. that glorious batch was perfection and I finally had it.
I was taught in kindergarten that it’s nice to share so that’s what I am doing. Sharing my years of experimenting so we can all have Levain at home. It’s just the right thing to do.
Let’s start with the basics.
Use cold butter. Cut into small cubes. Since you are collecting it straight out of the fridge, you need to cut it into small pieces so the butter and sugar can become friends and make a creamy masterpiece. It takes about 4 minutes for them to warm up and become besties.
This is where it’s all over for me….cookie dough. It’s my kryptonite, unfortunately, and I blame my hips on this goodness. Who else loves this stuff?
Now, these aren’t some ordinary bite-size cookies. No these are a full-on meal. Well maybe for some people. Here’s the deal – you make them big. Really big. Like only four can fit on a cookie sheet, BIG. These are the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER. Yep, I said it.
Usually, with thick cookies, they turn out like hockey pucks – cakey messes that hardly resemble a gooey cookie.
This is where these are different. We are going to crank up the heat in the oven to cook the outside quickly and leave that center nice, warm and gooey. As a cookie should be.
There are a few ingredients and techniques that set these cookies apart. First, you use cornstarch to add thickness without making the cookie dry. It does wonders in these cookies! Using cake flour also lends to a more tender cookie but you can also substitute all-purpose flour. Here’s one of my favorite cake flours — King Arthur Cake Flour
I am a huge fan of using nonstick silicone baking mats (Silpat) placed on top of the cookie sheets, which allows the cookies to be easily removed from the pan and to bake nicely. My cousin gave me a set as a gift years ago and I had no idea what I was missing out on! These are ones I have loved —Silicone Baking Sheets – 2 pack
You may want to eat these Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies the second they come out of the oven, but patience is a virtue and you must exercise some with these cookies. They need to “set up” so give them at least 10-15 minutes before you devour them. The amazing part of these cookies is that they are the only cookies I have ever made that are still cookie perfection even after a few days.
If you LOVE these cookies, you will love these other Levain Bakery copycat recipes:
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Levain Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Crush Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cold Butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour*
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Chocolate Chips
- 2 cups Walnuts roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
- Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
Video
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Now go make some Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies! You need one (or two or three….no judging here) of these warm, gooey cookies, a big glass of cold milk and a to-do list with nothing on it except catching up on Netflix or those cheesy Holiday Hallmark movies that somehow keep playing on my TV.
If you are a huge fan of Levain Bakery cookies or just eating the best chocolate chip cookies, you will love my other copycat recipes — Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies and Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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Happy Baking!
This recipe is so hard to make without a Kitchenaid, but it is possible! And it is so worth it. I made my own cake flour (1 T cornstarch per 1 cup of flour) and followed the recipe exactly, and they came out perfectly. I’m normally a big vanilla girl, but I didn’t miss it in these cookies at all. This is by far the best Levain Bakery copy-cat recipe (and possibly the best chocolate chip recipe). Thank you for posting!
You seriously made my day, Victoria! Good for you for making them without a Kitchenaid. That’s a lot of work! 🙂 I am so glad that you loved the cookies so much. They are our favorite as well! – Melissa
I’m slightly confused, it says preheat the oven to 410 degrees?!
That’s impossible for my oven, isn’t it usually 200 degrees?
Hi Amelia! Preheating your oven to 410 degrees means that while you are whipping up the cookie dough, the oven to heating up to 410 degrees so that it is at the correct temperature when the cookies are ready to bake. Hope that helps!
Hi Amelia, I might be a bit late but the recipe is referring to Farenheit and maybe you are thinking Celcius? 410F is 210C- hope that helps! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Is there an adjustment for high altitude? Cindy
Hi Cindy! That is a great question. I live in the desert so I am far from high altitude. 🙂 However, people have had much success with this recipe in different parts of the country. Here is an article that I do reference for high altitude baking that may help – http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html It does say to increase the temperature but keep in mind that these cookies are baked at a high temperature already so increase in small increments. I would love to hear how they turn out! 🙂 – Melissa
Excellent recipe! Have tried many other Levain copycats on Pinterest, and yours is by far the best. Love that you don’t use vanilla [not a big fan] and that you use corn starch- definitely what gives the outside a nice bite [+ using the hotter oven].
For my oven, 12 1/2 minutes was the perfect baking time to get just the right amount of gooeyness in the center and without over-browning the tops.
Tried two batches: one with dough that chilled in the fridge for 30 mins and one unchilled. I really didn’t notice any difference between the two.
Also, as the cookies were cooling [~2-3 minutes after coming out of the oven], I studded the tops with a handful of chips just to make them look super pretty and delicious.
Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Thank you, Tricia! That makes me so happy to hear that you loved them. I, too, tried out so many of them on Pinterest and was never satisfied with the outcome. I started to experiment and did a fair share of detective work to come up with this recipe. It took a lot of work but the outcome was worth it! 🙂
Thank you for the fantastic tips. Also, I love the idea of adding chocolate chips. We eat with our eyes first so they have to be pretty, right? Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
I just finished making these and honestly these are the best cookies I have ever had. Perfectly soft and everything I’ve ever wanted from a cookie! I replaced the walnuts with pecans and they were absolutely amazing. I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe for the future. Thank you!
Hi Madison! Yay! I am so glad that you loved them as much as we do. I am going to try them with pecans now to mix it up. Such a great idea! 🙂
Hi there! These look Devine! What’s the best way to measure out each cookie!
Hi Jennifer! I usually fit 4 on a cookie sheet. I do it by eyeball but if you have a scale, I would be happy to weigh my dough and include it in the recipe so you can know an exact amount. I have people make this recipe of all sizes from small to medium to large. I make them just like Levain does – nice and big. Let me know if you would like the weight. That is a great question!
Just FYI the Levain website says their chocolate chip walnut cookies are 6 oz. each, if anyone wants to use a scale. That’s one hefty cookie! I’m excited to make these with my girls for fall break next week.
Thank you so much, Alicia! It’s a hefty cookie, right? These are no joke and are actually super filling. If you haven’t tried them yet, they are definitely a unique cookie to try. Have a great day, my friend! xoxo
Well these were absolutely delicious! You weren’t kidding when you said they’re bigger than you expect! Mine were a little pale and undercooked after 12 minutes, so they stayed in the oven a tad longer. My husband and I each ate one (I started with half and went back for the rest) and then we froze the rest. Now, I regret that. I want another STAT! I think it’ll be delicious heated up with a scoop of ice cream on top. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Stefanie! That made me laugh because I think it surprises people how big they are! The first time I taught my Mom how to make them she was in disbelief that I was making them that big but once she ate them at Levain Bakery, she realized that is how they roll in NYC. I am so glad to hear that you loved them. Thank you so much for sharing your success in the kitchen and kind words. 🙂 – Melissa
Hi, when it says 1 1/2 cups flour – is it self raising flour? Thanks
Hi there! It’s best to use an all purpose flour in this recipe. 🙂
thanks..cant wait to make some!
Sorry so instead of cake flour do I just use 3 cups all purpose flour ? Thanks
So sorry for the confusion! You were right…you can substitute self rising flour for the cake flour. 🙂 Then use all-purpose flour for the other 1 1/2 cups.
Made them! Amazing!!!! It’s hard to find peanut butter chips so for a change I put a spoon of peanut butter in the middle of one cookie! So so nice !!! Thanks!!!
I made these for a large group tonight, and they were a huge hit. I made them much smaller because I needed 3 dozen. So, I used a standard cookie scoop. Also, I didn’t have cake flour, so I made my own…. subtract one tablespoon of regular flour and replace it with corn starch! Worked perfectly!
Hi Lindsey! I love a good improviser in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your tips that these can be made small and they still turn out fantastic. Great idea about making your own cake flour. That will help a lot of people out there who doesn’t have it stocked in their kitchen. Thanks for reaching out and have a great day! – Melissa 🙂
I was thinking of doing the same.. did you preheat/ cook same time as listed? Thanks!
I just finished making the cookies and I must have done something wrong. The cookies spread out and looked nothing like yours. I left the butter in the fridge until I needed it and followed the receipe. Any suggestions?
Hi Melyssa! I am so sorry to hear that they spread. I haven’t had that happen before but I would suggest sticking the cookie dough or cookie sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for several minutes before putting it in the oven. I have tried all three ways – no chilling, putting it in the refrigerator, and putting it in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. When I have placed it in the freezer for 30 minutes, they literally don’t spread at all so a happy medium of 10 minutes would probably be perfect. I hope that you try them again! 🙂 Melissa